top runner

Leading integrated high-efficiency monocrystalline module manufacturer and ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Green Energy Technology has won a bid to build a ‘Top Runner’ PV power plant of 250MW with partner, Three Gorges New Energy in Yijun County, Tongchuan City, China.

According to analysis by Taiwan-based market research firm, EnergyTrend, around 67% of Top Runner program bids in 2017 were won with P-type mono PERC modules and it expects an increasing percentage of project bids in 2018 will be securde by using P-type mono PERC bifacial modules.

At the beginning of 2017, the big question regarding solar in China was whether they could repeat the stunning ~35GW performance of 2016. Yet, over the course of the year, the question transformed, quite surreally, to whether China would hit the 50GW mark in 2017, writes Apricum's Meishi Tan.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member and the largest integrated monocrystalline manufacturer LONGi Green Energy Technology said its subsidiary, LONGi Solar would ramp volume production of its PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) technology by the end of 2017.

According to independent solar industry advisory firm AECEA, China has already exceeded its 13th Five-Year-Plan (2016-2020) target of 105GW by installing around 10.52GW of solar in July, after record first half 2017 installations of 24.4GW.

After the 630 installation rush, enterprises, industry experts and investors began to think about the next trend for Chinese PV industry. It is predicted by senior staff from an investment company, that 2017’s plant development would be tripartite by the top runners (leading group) projects, distributed systems and poverty alleviating PV programmes.